1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasound image processing apparatus and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that perform processing for generating ultrasound images in accordance with different ultrasound scanning systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional ultrasound diagnostic apparatus applies ultrasound in the shape of pulses to a living body, receives reflected waves of the ultrasound reflected from living tissue to obtain ultrasound tomograms. This apparatus has advantage of noninvasively obtaining diagnostic images of the inside of the living body.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-300565 as a first conventional example of such an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus discloses an apparatus that performs mechanical radial scanning for rotating an ultrasound transducer placed in a distal end portion of an ultrasound probe around an axis of the elongated probe and radially scanning ultrasound.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-135693 as a second conventional example discloses an apparatus in which an ultrasound transducer array is arranged in a distal end portion of an ultrasound probe substantially in the shape of a protruding surface in an axial direction of the probe and in a cylindrical portion parallel to an axis of the probe, and the ultrasound transducer array is selected to perform electronic convex scanning and radial scanning.